Steam-engine.



Patented Aug. 29, I899.

- A. BLAHA.

STEAM ENGINE.

- (Application filed Mar. 18, 1899.: (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l,

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Patented Aug. 29, I899. A. BLAHA.

STEAM ENGINE.

(Application filed. Mar. 13, 1899.) (No Model.)

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(No Model.)

79 2 ,IM 5 0 7V 2 Patented Aug. 29, I899. A. BLAHA. w

STEAM ENGINE.

Application filed Mar. 13, 1899,-

3 Sheets-8heet 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON BLAHA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JULIUS THUEMLING, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,038, dated August 29, 1899. Application filed March 13, 1899. satin No. 708,864. No mod l.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON BLAHA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve-' ments in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel construe tion in a steam-engine, the object being to provide a simple and economical device of this character; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my steam-engine. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sec tional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is asectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail view in elevation of the valve-casings with the covering-plates removed. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of one of the valves. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of same. Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11 11 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, showing the construction of stufing-boxes employed.

Hy engine consists of a cylinder A, mounted upon a base B and provided with inletports a and band exhaust-ports cand d,which establish communication between said cylinder A and valve-casing G and D, in which valves E and F, controlling said inlet and exhaust ports, are mounted. A T-coupling e connects said valve-casings O and D with a steam-supply pipe f, and each of saidvalvecasings is also connected with an exhaustpipe 9. Said valves E and F are of the rotary reciprocating type, each provided with a radial arm 1, adapted to control the steaminlet a or b, and with a similar arm 2, provided with an opening 3, adapted alternately to register with and cover the exhaust-opening 4, leading from the valve-chamber to the. exhaust-pipe g, or d, thus alternately and with the exhaust-port a connecting the latter with the opening 4 and interrupting the connection. Each of said valves is provided with a rim adapted to fit snugly Within the valvechamber. Each of said valves E and F is provided with a central valve-stem 5, which passes through the cover 6 of each of the valve-casings O and D and through stuffingboxes 7,mounted thereon, and thence through bearings 8 in standards 9, mounted on said base B. Adjacent the bearings 8 said valve stems are provided with crank-arms 10 and 11, respectively, which are adapted to be engaged by mechanism operated from the piston-rod, as hereinafterdescribed, to turn and thus operate said valves. The end of the piston-rod 12 is connected with a slotted arm 13, mounted upon one end of a shaft 14, journaled in bearing 15 on said base B at a point practically between the two limits of the stroke of the end of the piston-rod 12, said connection consisting of a pin 16 on said piston-rod passing through the slot in said arm.

In this manner a rocking motion is transmitted to said arm,and the movement thereof is again 7 5 transmitted to a bar 17, slidingly mounted in a guide 18 on said base 13, by means of a crank-arm 19 on the other end of said shaft 14, which is provided with a crank-pin entering a slot 20 in projection 21 on the end of said bar 17.

Pivotally mounted upon the bar 17 at points below the valve-stems 5 are two bell-crank levers 22 and 23, each having a free arm extending toward the other bell-crank lever. The other arm of each of said levers is connected with a weight 24 common to both by means of a link 25. Said weight 24 serves to normally hold the free arm of each of said bell-crank levers,so that the outer end thereof 0 projects slightly above the upper edge of said bar 17, where it will project into the path of one of the crank-arms 10 or 11 to operate the latter during the movement of said bar 17 in one direction and be depressed by one of 5 said crank-arms during the movement of said bar in the opposite direction, the relative arrangement being such that when one of said free arms of said bell-crank levers is engaging one of said crank-arms the free arm of the other bell-crank lever is depressed by the other crank-arm and is passing underneath the same. On the other side of each of said bearings 8 said valve-stems 5 carry disks 26, on which hand-levers 27 are mounted. Each of said disks 26 carries a crank-pin 28 and 29, to the former of which links 30 are pivotally connected. At their other ends said links 30 are pivotally connected with each other and with a rod 31, passing through an opening in said base B and carrying a weight 32 at its lower end, which is adapted to normally. hold said valves E and F in position, so that the openings 3 therein are flush with the exhaust-. openings 4, and exhaust-ports c and d. The crank-pins 29 carry rods 33, pivotally secured thereto on the other side of said disks and extending downwardly therefrom through openings in said base B, said rods being provided with adjustable collars 34, adapted to engage said base B to limit the downward movement of said rods 33, thereby likewise limiting the movement of said disks in one direction.

Pivotally mounted on the guide 18, on the face thereof opposite to that on which the bar 17 moves and almost directly below the valvestems 5, are two levers 35, which at their upper ends are adapted to engage crank-pins 36 on the crank-arms 10 and 11, and at their lower ends are adapted to be engaged by pins 37, mounted on arms 38, rigidly secured to said bar 17, said pins 37 passing through slots 39 in said guide 18. Said levers 35 normally stand in the position shown in Fig. 6, so that their lower ends project into the paths of the pins 37 and are tilted, so that their upper ends are situated at the normal limits of movement of said crank-arms 10 and 11. As the piston approaches either limit of its movement the pins 37 are brought into engagement with the lower ends of said levers 35, thereby turning same on their pivots to the position shown on the left-hand side of Fig. 2, thereby causing their upper ends to engage the crank-pins 36, and thus turning one of said valves to close the exhaust and partially open the steam-inlet on the exhaust side of the piston before the latter reaches the limit of its movement, thus cushioning the stroke at said end and supplying pressure to begin the return stroke. As the piston starts on its return stroke the free arm of the adjacent bell-crank lever will be brought into engagement with said crank-arm before the latter can return to its normal position and will turn same farther to open said inlet-port.

The operation of my device is as follows: The valve controlling the steam-supply being 0pened,one of the disks 26 is turned by grasping the lever 27 thereon with the hand, the

disk chosen depending upon the position of the piston and the desired direction of motion. Turning such disk obviously turns the valve E or F connected therewith, thus uncovering the inlet-port to one end of the cylinder and at the same time covering the exhaust at the same end- The admission of steam starts the piston in the desired direction, and as it approaches the limit of its movement in said direction said disk is released. Meanwhile the movement of said piston has been transmitted to the bar 17 and the devices thereon, thus operating the other valve,which would have been turned to close the exhaust and open the inlet-port, while the released valve would return to its normal position and open the exhaust at the end of the cylinder which it controls. We will presume that the piston stands at the middle of the stroke,'so that one inlet-port is open and at the other end the cylinder is connected with the exhaust. We will presume that inlet-port ct is open, but it is desired to'start'the engine in the reverse direction from that in which it would start if steam were admitted through said port a. In that event the valve E would be released from engagement with the bellcrank lever 23 and return to its normal position and the valve F turned by hand to uncover the inlet and hold the same wide open until the piston had reached the rearward limit of its motion, when it would be released. Meanwhile the valve E has been partially opened by the valve-gear, thus supplying pressure to begin the return stroke, and the valves will thereafter be operated by the valve mechanism. In this way, as will be obvious, the direction of motion can be readily controlled, and likewise during its operation the engine can be readily reversed, by

manipulating the valves by hand, so that the engine can be readily adapted for marine purposes.

The stufling-boxes used on my engine, such as the boxes 7 and the box through which the piston-rod 12 passes, are so constructed that the steam-pressure will aid in keeping same tight. To this end they consist each of a member 40, consisting of a cylinder open at one end and provided with an annular flange 4.1 at said end. At its other end said cylinder is interiorly tapered, as at 42, and is provided with an opening 43 for the passage of the shaft. A member 44, provided with a central opening and countersunk on one face around said opening, fits within said member 40. Packing is adapted to be inserted in said member 40, and the member 44: is then inserted therein, wi th its countersunk face toward the packing. A spring 45 is then inserted behind the member 4A to force same against the packing, said spring bearing at its other end against the cylinder-head upon which the box is mounted. Thus steam entering said member 40 would act to press the member 44 more firmly against the packing. I claim asmy invention- 1. In a steam-engine, the combination with valves mounted in valve-casings and controlling the inlet and exha'ust'ports, of devices mounted on the valve-stems and adapted to be engaged by devices operated from a m0ving part of the engine to rock said valves in one direction, said devices comprising a member slidingly mounted in guides on said en gine and carrying bell-crank levers having each an arm projecting into the path of a crank-arm on said valve-stems and adapted to turn said crank-arms until the latter move out of the paths of said arms, connection between said bell-crank levers and a weight for holding same normally in position to engage said devices on said valve-stems, and devices adapted to return said valves to their normal positions, substantially as described.

2. In a steam -engine, valve mechanism comprising rock-valves having stems, crankarms mounted on said stems, a Weight connected with said stems and adapted to hold said valves normally in one position, and devices for moving said valves against the action of said weight comprising a sliding bar operated from the piston-rod and mounted in guides, hell-crank levers pivotally mounted on said bar and having each a depending arm connected with devices adapted to hold said levers normally in position so that the other arm of each projects into the path of said crank-arms on said valve-stems, each of said bell-crank levers being adapted to engage one of said crank-arms at intervals and turn the same out of its path, substantially as described.

3. In a steam engine, valve mechanism comprising rock-valves having stems, crankarms mounted on said stems, a Weight connected with said stems and adapted to hold said valves normally in one position, and devices for moving said valves against the action of said weight comprising a sliding bar operated from the piston-rod and mounted in guides, bell-crank levers pivotally mounted on said bar and having each a depending arm connected with devices adapted to hold said levers normally in position so that the other arm of each projects into the path of said crankarms on said valve-stems, each of said bell-crank levers being adapted to engage one of said crank-arms at intervals and turn the same out of its path, levers pivotally mounted on said guides and adapted at one end to move into the path of the adjacent crank-arm and at their other ends to project into the paths of pins on said bar, whereby when said pins engage one end of one of said levers, the other end thereof will engage the adjacent crank-arm to turn said valve to close the exhaust and partially open the steaminlet, substantially as described.

4. In a steam-engine, the combination with rock-valves having steam-carrying crankarms and connected with devices for normally holding said valves at one of the limits of their movement,of devices slidingly mounted in guides on said engine and operated from a moving part thereof and carrying movable members adapted to engage said crank-arms to operate said valves against the action of said devices for holding same normally in position, and devices pivotally mounted on a rigid part of the engine and projecting into the paths of said crank-arms and said movable devices and adapted to be engaged by the latter to engage the former to turn said valves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ANTON BLAHA.

\Vitnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, WM. B. SNoWHooK. 

